The present invention relates generally to a device for plugging a tubeless pneumatic tire. More particularly, the present invention relates to a device for plugging a tubeless pneumatic tire wherein a plugging means is inserted into a tire puncture without dismounting the tire from either the automobile or the wheel.
Tubeless tires are tires which are mounted on a wheel wherein the wheel forms a part of the seal to hold in air under pressure. The side of the tire has a bead which butts against a corresponding portion of the wheel rim forming an air-tight seal. As a result tubeless tires are difficult to remove from the wheel rim, even when they are flat. Special tools are generally required to remove the flat tire from the rim to enable a hole in the tire to be repaired. In recent years with the increase of price for oil and oil derived products, there has been a greater focus on repairing of tires when only slightly damaged.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a tool which allows a hole or puncture in a tubeless tire to be repaired without removing the tire from the wheel rim. Devices for repairing holes in tubeless tires without removing them from the rim are well known. A primary type of device for repairing holes in tubeless tires without removing the punctured tire from the rim on which they are mounted employ a substantially cylindrical rubber “plug” and a tool for inserting the plug into a hole. Several prior methods for repairing punctures in tubeless tires are known to have several disadvantages, including removal of the wheel assembly from the automobile. Additionally, tires of late include several layers of metallic and/or synthetic reinforcing cords. Thus, repairing tubeless tires where such repair devices attempted to place rubber elements into a puncture hole have not been practical, typically making insertions difficult and positioning uncertain. This procedure is more difficult to perform when the vehicle ride height is low, the puncture is on the inner edge of the tire, the tire is very large with thick treads, or the puncture hole is very narrow.
Prior attempts to produce a tire puncture device have resulted in devices that enlarge the opening initiated by the penetrating object. Generally, such devices include some means by which a person must forcibly insert a pointed device into the puncture. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,990,736; 3,029,671; and 4,009,624 disclose hand tools having a probe member or shaft that expands the hole, and a plug carrier or insertion channel. The tools include a pressure head or knob suitably configured to facilitate pressing the hand against it for forcing the shaft and plug into the hole.
However, a drawback of such tire puncture devices is that they have multiple components that include a tube or channel for inserting the plug. Such devices are cumbersome, generally require the tire to be, at a minimum, removed from the automobile and are expensive to fabricate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,548,102 describes a tool for plugging a punctured tire where the plug is inserted from the inside of the tire. However, this requires not only the removal of the wheel from the automobile, but additionally the separation of the tire from the wheel rim.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,792 describes a screwdriver-type tool for plugging a punctured tire. The tool includes a hollow tubular shaft for providing support to the plug during compression or insertion of the plug into the puncture. The plug includes a pointed, hardened tip that has a shoulder for engaging the tubular shaft so that the plug can be manually pushed or forced into the hole from the penetrating object.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,361 discloses a tire repair device having a handle that includes a compartment defined therein for storing extra plugs, ratcheting means secured to the handle, a shaft attached to the ratchet means and having a plug hooking means and a reamer at an end of the shaft opposite from the point where the shaft attaches to the ratchet means.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,510 discloses a multi-component tire repair device having an elongated handle and a flanged wheel-engaging shaft pivotally and adjustably mounted in a slot provided in one end of the handle. The flanged wheel-engaging shaft removably engages the cupped rim or hub of the wheel after it is removed from the automobile. An adjustable tire plug carriage sleeve is mounted on the handle. A plug insertion shaft having a bifurcated distal end is suspended downwardly from a pivotal attachment to the carriage sleeve. As the flanged bottom end of the vertical wheel engaging shaft is caused to engage the hub of the wheel, the handle is extended horizontally over the width of the tire tread. The tire plug carriage sleeve and suspended plug insertion shaft are adjusted and then secured on the handle in the appropriate location to facilitate alignment of a band-shaped, resilient repair plug. The plug is inserted between the bifurcations of the plug insertion shaft. Subsequent insertion of the repair plug in and removal of the plug insertion shaft from the opening is by lever operation of the handle. A problem with this tire repair device is that the flanged wheel-engaging shaft may assist in providing an anchoring point for the inserting lever, however, the flanged wheel-engaging shaft provides no such point during the extraction of the plug insertion shaft. Thus, the tool becomes cumbersome during at least half of the plugging operation.
Another problem with the prior tire repair devices is that some require specific types or designs of resilient plugs to be used, limiting the utility of the device to the availability of the specific resilient plugs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,323 discloses a puncture repair device that uses a plug that is generally cylindrical with enlarged end portions and an interconnecting cylindrical shank portion. One end has a cylindrical head portion and a circumferential groove for engaging the insertion tool. The other end has a spherical portion.
Another problem with the aforementioned devices is that to facilitate the insertion of the tool into the tire tread, the hole is usually enlarged to the appropriate size of the plug by using a reaming device or a drill and following the hole of the penetrating object.
Another problem associated with the prior art devices and plugging means, is if the puncture is enlarged or reamed to accept the tire plugging device and/or plugging means, the enlarged hole further weakens the tire, which also requires a larger, stronger plugging means to stop the leak.
An additional disadvantage of the previously described devices is the obvious and unmistakable danger of personal injury when inserting the plug. As noted, the prior described tools include a pointed end that may slip during the course of attempting to insert the plug.
Thus, there is a need for a mobile tire plug insertion device that would allow the user to keep the wheel assembly on the automobile and safely allow the user to insert the plugging means into the hole or puncture from the penetrating object.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic tire puncture repair tool that allows the user to safely facilitate inserting a plugging means of suitable size, configuration and resiliency into a tire having a hole from a penetrating object.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic tire puncture repair tool that allows the user to safely facilitate inserting a plugging means of suitable size, configuration and resiliency into a tire having a hole from a penetrating object wherein the wheel does not have to be removed from the automobile or from the wheel rim.
Yet another object of the present invention to provide a pneumatic tire puncture repair tool that allows the user insert a plugging means of suitable size, configuration and resiliency into a tire having a hole from a penetrating object wherein the wheel is not removed from the automobile and the weight of the automobile is utilized to facilitate inserting the plugging means while the user's hands are in a position of safety during the plug insertion step of the process.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the following description and the accompanying drawings wherein like parts and objects in the several views have similar reference numerals. It is to be understood that the inventive concept is not to be considered limited to the constructions disclosed herein but instead by the scope of the appended claims.